Black Howl by Christina Henry

Life's never a dull moment when you’re Madeline Black, Agent of Death who escorts souls to the afterlife. Maddy just happens to be the daughter of a fallen angel named Azazel who still wants her to marry Nathaniel and is Lucifer’s second in command. Her mother was also an Agent of Death before she died; a position which Maddy now holds.

Maddy is also the granddaughter of the Morningstar himself Lucifer, and carries his sword as well as a henna tattoo of a snake on her right palm that gives her some awesome new abilities. Lucifer has tried hard to get Maddy to be his heir and be in his inner circle. Something she has strongly refused to be lured into.

She now has Samiel, Gabriel’s half-brother, staying with her, Beezle and Gabriel, after coming to an agreement with him after he took her left pink and ring finger in a battle to the death. *See Black Night for more information*. Gabriel has agreed to train his brother in the ways that matter so that Maddy has yet another protective shield from those who want to kill her.

The most painful aspect of Maddy’s life for the first part of this story may be her relationship with Gabriel who is considered to be Maddy’s thrall or slave now that she saved his life in the previously referenced death match. Gabriel used to be Maddy’s bodyguard and unrequited love of her life.

*~Plot~*

It appears that something really hinky is going on in Maddy's native Chicago. According to her boss J.B, who still harbors a crush on her, there have been more than a dozen unscheduled deaths in one week, and it appears the ghosts are wandering around without any desire to move onto to the afterlife.

If that weren’t enough, Jude shows up at Maddy’s door reluctantly asking for her help after Wade, the werewolves pack Alpha, goes missing along with the wolf cubs of the pack. Like I said, it’s never a dull moment when you’re Madeline Black.

Christina Henry’s Black Howl is the third installment in the Black Wings Series and Madeline is as stubborn as ever. She is completely hard headed, naive in some ways and loyal to a fault to her friends. She walks into situations without thinking and ends up making decisions by the seat of her pants.

*Favorite Moments/Quotes from the story*

"“Enough!” I shouted, rubbing my eyes. “Gods above and below. I know too many men. I need to get some girlfriends.” Beezle snorted. “Yeah. I can totally see you drinking cosmos and talking shoes with a bunch of chicks.” Okay. So maybe that was absurd. But the fact remained that there was far too much testosterone in my life."

“As I am the Morningstar, you shall be my dark start, the hand of my will, my bringer of justice. All rise and say hail to my Hound of the Hunt.”  After Maddy kills the Hound of the Hunt sent to retrieve Samiel and Lucifer finally gets his wish to have Maddy in his inner circle.

“Sometimes I wonder if J.B’s right about me Three-Stooging my way through life,” I said out loud.

*Characters*

Gabriel is as stoic as ever in the beginning of this book. He is trying to distance himself from Maddy since they can never have a relationship. It also doesn't help that his status is nothing but a slave in their realm. By the end of the book, things have taken a radical turn to the right when Lucifer steps in with a surprise announcement in regards to Maddy’s relationship with Gabriel. 

J.B. becomes a part of Team Maddy now that the love spell has worn off that his own mother put on him in order to have a child with Maddy. J.B. is a very good friend to Maddy and goes above and beyond in order to help rescue Wade. He is also very un-Wade-like in this story when he actually breaks his own rules and helps Maddy find out who is responsible for stealing people’s souls.

Beezle is the comic relief in these books. There is a point to being sarcastic and funny. There were points in the book I wanted to choke Beezle or tell him to shut his pie hole for 5 minutes. I’m sure it was meant as a way to keep things from being too serious as Maddy and crew are running around trying to save Wade and the cubs and find out who is responsible for Chicago’s new ghosts.

Jude is the surprise of this book. Jude has made it extremely clear that he does not like Maddy or anyone of Lucifer's ilk in any way and we learn the truth about how old he actually is, and what happened to him to cause him to have these opinions. By the end of the book, Jude has earned my respect, and he now respects Maddy as well.

There are several surprises that are revealed along the way. Of course, it is no surprise to find out it is Amarantha and Focalor are once again at the forefront of Maddy’s troubles. What shocked me is who else was involved in the plot to overthrow Lucifer. I guess those who have read this series from the start, shouldn’t have been surprised at the revelation or the fact that Maddy’s half-brother is also part of the conspiracy.

The ending broke my heart and I can only hope that Ms. Henry fixes what happened so that Maddy isn’t left to her own vices. Yes, Maddy makes some stupid and silly mistakes. Yes, she is rash and judgmental at times. But, she is also fiercely loyal and protective of her little family and friends and would do anything to help them and keep them from being hurt because of her.

Next Installment:
Black Lament releases October 30, 2012

In My Mailbox

In my Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren, that features books I've received/purchased/borrowed during the current week.

Welcome to all my new followers this week! I'm extremely

happy that you're here! This weeks In My Mailbox is kind

of skimpy compared to last week. So, let's get right to it!

  

  

 

 

Bound to Me and A Blood Seduction courtesy of Edelweiss

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar courtesy of Netgalley

Red Glove via the Jacksonville Library

Taken at Dusk and The Last Echo courtesy of Amber

Black Dawn courtesy of a trade on ARC Swap

So, what's in YOUR mailbox?

The Calling by Kelly Armstrong

The Calling (Darkness Rising # 2) is once again told in the POV of 16 year old Maya Delaney who is a Skinwalker (aka Yee naaldlooshii) like Rafe Martinez and his sister Annie. Where The Gathering left off, The Calling begins with questions answered and more questions left to be explained.

The first question pertains to the mysterious stranger who came out of nowhere attempting to “rescue” Maya, Rafe and Daniel, and apparently knows Maya as his daughter. He later claimed that he wasn’t given any choice in the matter, nor was he given a voice in Maya’s adoption to the Delaney’s. Needless to say this goes over like a stale cup of coffee loaded with cigarette butts.

The second part becomes trickier when the helicopter that is supposed to carry the kids to Vancouver and safety--crashes leaving Maya, Daniel, Nicole, Samantha Russo, Hayley Morris, and Corey Carling as its only survivors. Rafe, who was in the helicopter as well, fell and is presumed to be dead.

There are still questions as to the identity of the pilot and whether or not he was working for the Nast Cabal (who wants the kids and collects supernatural beings) or the St. Cloud Corporation (who claim they only want to help and protect them yet recreated supernatural beings thought to have been extinct).

Armstrong tends to use characters and organizations from her Women of the Otherworld series. It was done with the Darkest Powers Trilogy (Chloe Saunders) and the trend continues with this series. Even the so called villainous masterminds are similar in name and stature. The Edison Group. The St. Cloud Group.

While the kids are trying to figure out what is happening to them and why, Daniel suddenly shows a remarkable new ability (the power of persuasion). And, apparently, he and Sam are demon hunters aka Benandanti who have been reborn to hunt half demons like the former Mina Lee. It appears Corey’s abilities are a secret in that he gets migraines and sees things but he can’t control them.

Questions still remain about Serena’s death because of the fact that she was the captain of the swim team and the strongest swimmer of them all. It appears she may have been dragged underwater by another supernatural being that later attacks Maya. Suspects include: Hayley and Nicole who share common traits, and characteristics and may be mer-people.

Maya is a lot better character than Chloe ever was. I love her ability to relate to animals and later she shape shifts into a cougar and mountain lion. I love the fact that she is a take charge character who doesn’t sit around all day and muddle her way through her constant angsts. She is conflicted in her likes between Daniel and Rafe, but Rafe has some serious questions revolving around him now especially by the way this book ends.

Other questions that remain unanswered: Where is Maya’s twin brother, and why did her biological mother give her up? Where are Maya’s adoptive parents and will they ever realize the kids are still alive and not dead as all indication appear?

The Calling ends up being linked back to Chloe Saunders trilogy. Both series have characters that were genetic experiments. Both series feature a female lead with unusual powers and abilities. Both trilogies also have a female lead who is conflicted between two boys she cares for. One mysterious, the other her best friend.

The Calling leaves questions as to whether or not Armstrong intends to somehow link the two trilogies together in a final going away present to her readers. It’s truly remarkable that all roads once again lead back to Buffalo, NY and the Edison Group.

Expected publication: April 10th 2012 by HarperCollins

Follow Friday Feature

Follow Friday is a meme hosted by Parajunkee and Allison Can Read, that allows you to meet new bloggers and make more followers.

Welcome to our regular Feature & Follow Friday!

This weeks question of the week is simple and easy. What was your favorite book this month? What is your worse book this month?

For me, I could name 5 books that I thought were awesome but will settle for one:

The worse, well, not a 4 rating or higher!

 

I am definitely looking forward to your response on this question. I am

always looking for new authors and books to read!

Thank you so much for stopping by, and don't forget to check out my 50 followers

giveaway that is teetering on breaking 100 followers now!

~Shelley~

White Cat by Holly Black

17-year old Cassel (Cass) Sharpe has grown up believing that he killed his girlfriend Lila when he was 14 years old and that he had no abilities like the rest of his family of so called curse workers. Since curse work is illegal in this alternative universe America, Cass comes from a family of criminals who work closely with the mob.

Cass is a student at Wallingford Preparatory School where he runs his own con games as well as a fairly productive bookmaking business while trying to stay under the radar because of his family ties. One night while Cass dreams that a white cat has stolen his tongue, he somehow finds his way up on a ledge where he suddenly awakens after a bout of what is being called somnambulism, or sleepwalking.

The story itself is Cass’s awakening call to the fact that his entire family has been using him, lying to him, and erasing his memories to keep him from knowing that he has a very rare and powerful gift that everyone is after. Imagine Cass’s surprise when the truth about what he has done in the past comes out.

As for the rest of Cass’s family; his brother Philip can cause physical damage, while his brother Barron is a luck worker as well as being able to remove and distort someone’s memories. His grandfather Desi Singer is a retired death dealer and his mother is in jail for working emotions and con jobs on rich men.

I have never read the Spiderwick Chronicles or any other title by Holly Black to my utter bemusement. Imagine my surprise, after reading reviews by GR friends, that I actually found myself loving this story. Naturally, there is one negative and that is the obvious lead in to the next book which is a huge cliffhanger as well as leaving questions unanswered about Cass's mother and Lila's fate.

This is a YA urban fantasy story without the whole 3 way love triangle which for me is a plus. The story and world building is original and unique. White Cat takes place in an alternative world where a small percentage of individuals are born with the ability to work one of seven different forms of magic through touch. Cass’s ability makes him pretty much the only person able to do the things he can do.

Cass is the main story here, but the sub characters like Audrey, Sam, and Daneca (Dani) are all interesting enough and likable enough that the story doesn’t lose its focus or suffer because of their inclusion.

Next up:
Red Glove (April 2011)
Black Heart (April 2012)

The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab

“If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely and always looking for company."

*Synopsis*

Shortly after a stranger arrives in the village of Near, children begin disappearing one by one. The children, it seems, are being lured away from their homes by the Near Witch who was thought to have been banished and killed a century before after an unfortunate incident which she was wrongly accused and convicted.

The villagers of Near don’t trust outsiders, nor do they believe that the Near Witch is back and causing the problems. They would rather grab the first stranger who wanders into town and crucify and blame him for their problems rather than face the real truth.

Enter 16 year old Lexi Harris who discovers the real truth about what is really happening, and thankfully for everyone involved. She keeps a clam level head when dealing with the missing children, including her own sister Wren, and doesn't flay around, or whine that there is nothing she can do to stop it from happening again.

*Review*

I've actually found a YA novel that is well written and one that kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end. In a YA world filled with 3-way relationships, this one goes outside of the box and tells the story beautifully about a 16 year old girl named Lexi who has picked up the mantle of her deceased father as tracker and hunter. She's not your typical female who likes to stay home and bake bread, and get married at like the rest of her peers.

I absolutely loved Lexi and her tenacity and determination in doing what she was trained to do and not let a little thing like a man slow her down. Lexi picked up where her father left off by being a hunter and a tracker. She shoves away numerous attempts by the village Rico Sauvé to fall head over heels in love with him, and stay at home like all the rest of the women of the village.

I even enjoyed the sister witches Magda and Dreska Thorne and the part they play in this storyline. Yes, they are old crones, yet, they had a relationship with Lexi’s father that went beyond friendship and respect, and now Lexi is trying to pick up that mantle as well.

An example of the amazing world building that Schwab has created:

"Of every aspect of the moor, the earth and stone and rain and fire, the wind is the strongest one in Near. Here on the outskirts of the village, the wind is always pressing close, making windows groan. It whispers and it howls and it sings. It can bend its voice and cast into any shape, long and thin enough to slide beneath the door, stout enough to seem a thing of weight and breath and bone."

Favorite Quotes:

"People know, but they try to forget," I say shaking my head. "They see witches as scary stories, as monsters. When my father was alive, things were better. He believed that witches were blessings. They are closer to nature than any human, because it is a part of them. But most people believe witches are cursed."

“Watchful eyes turned out at night; keep the evils out of sight.”

“Because children taste better in moonlight.”

Recommended to those who enjoy YA, Mysteries, and Suspence.

Waiting on Wednesday

Welcome to another edition of Waiting on Wednesday!

This week I am looking a few months into the future to one of my

favorite writers Rachel Caine and her series the Revivalists.

Goodreads Synopsis:

After dying and being revived with the experimental drug
Returne, Bryn Davis is theoretically free to live her unlife—
with regular doses to keep her going. But Bryn knows that the
government has every intention of keeping a tight lid on
Pharmadene’s life-altering discovery, no matter the cost.
And when some of the members of a support group for Re...moreAfter dying and being revived with the experimental drug
Returne, Bryn Davis is theoretically free to live her unlife—
with regular doses to keep her going. But Bryn knows that the
government has every intention of keeping a tight lid on
Pharmadene’s life-altering discovery, no matter the cost.
And when some of the members of a support group for Returne
addicts suddenly disappear, Bryn begins to wonder if the
government is methodically removing a threat to their security, or
if some unknown enemy has decided to run the zombies into
the ground

Mass Market Paperback, 320 pages

Expected publication: August 7th 2012 by Roc